In 2012 there was an average of 36 million licensed drivers over the age of 65. In that same year, more than 5,560 were involved in fatal car crashes, and 214,000 in a non-fatal accident(Older Adult Drivers). While each state has its own requirements for when the elderly must retake their driving exam, the majority of them don’t require it until the age of 75(License Renewal). We should modulate that age, and cut back on the time frame for how often they must retest. We should start the process at the age of 50, and make the retest every 5 years. The decline may be different for everyone, affecting individuals at differing ages. We would still be able to safeguard a vast amount of lives by doing this. And they should not be condemned for their shortcomings, most times it’s entirely their mental state decreasing(Senior Citizens Driving). And other times it’s possibly a medical issue. Such as diabetes, which causes numb feet, making the driver no longer competent enough to feel the pedals beneath them(Facts And Research). …show more content…
It might be because the loss of practically all cognition of their youth. When aging, people lose a lot of sensations they had in their youth. The ability to make split-second decisions, judge other drivers’ decisions, and react to things such as juveniles and creatures running in the street, diminishes(Older Adult Drivers). Most may find it difficult to read signs, due to their vision dwindling. In some cases, the peripheral vision, which is very important for determining the objects surrounding the car, will be lost. Making it almost impossible to detect other cars when changing lanes(Older Adult Drivers). Some elderly drivers have complications with flexibility, such as turning their head and neck, whether it be to see other drivers or to back in/out(Older Adult
Have you ever been driving and stuck behind an elderly person that was driving 10km under the speed limit? If so, you can feel the frustration that most drivers' face. Yearly driving tests should be mandatory because many people come from other countries and assume they know how to drive on our roads and road conditions, they should be tested again to see if they actually know how to drive in our country and kids with learners should be tested again in their second year to see if they still know the laws and to prove they didn't just forget them to go drive around and break the
why an annual mandatory driving and written test will separate those who can and can not operate a vehicle safely. These tests should be mandatory over a certain age. The driving test is important to better access relexes and other senses while the written test may seperate those who maintained psychical abilites yet lack in other ability such as memory and if raod signs and rules of the road are still familior. According to Alzheimer 's Society many indivduals with dementia may still be able to drive for some time until their dementia progresses. Part of the problem is that many older drivers feel that driving is a largely automatic activity and should be able to continue. The Alzheimer 's Society also states that many with dementia retain their learned skills even after being diagnosed, and that "driving is a complicated task that requires a split-second combination of complex thought processes and manual skills, such as “make sense of and respond to everything they see – including road signs and obstacles” ( Alzheimers Society)
Over the years, seniors experience a gradual decline in their physical and mental performance. While there is no getting around this fact, the rate at which this decline occurs isn't etched in stone. The following suggestions will slow this decline and extend a senior's ability to drive safely for many more years.
All people including the elderly, should have to go do a driving test if, they have been involved in at least two accidents within the same year. Plus, these people should have to take a refresser driver’s education class.
In the United States, driving is often equated to freedom and independence. When a senior is faced with the prospect of losing their ability to drive, it can have dramatic emotional consequences. Since there is not a standard rate at which health deteriorates, there is no one age at which a senior's ability to safely drive is effected. What we do know, however, is that drivers over the age of 70 are more likely to be involved in fatal automobile accidents than drivers of other age groups.
Families of drivers who were injured, or worse, by elderly drivers also have a stake in this debate. In a news article by ABC News, a mother calls for greater action on elderly drivers after her 22-year-old son, Dann, is killed by an 87-year-old driver who “[had] failed to see Dann coming and turned directly into his path.” (Atkin, 2017). The mother, named Sue Jenkins, stated “we are second-class citizens because the independence of the elderly driver is more important than our right to expect other drivers on the roads to be competent.” (Atkin, 2017). Ms. Jenkins statement summarizes the position of many families of drivers injured, or worse, by senior drivers. Again, these stakeholders agree on the fact and definition of elderly drivers,
Millions of people drive each day, some heading to work, some to vacation destinations, some to entertainment, and some just for fun. Within these millions, there are all types of drivers; aggressive, passive, new, experienced, and elderly to name a few. The elderly comprise of more than 40 million people age 65 and older in the United States and of those 40 million, 34 million are licensed drivers (NHTSA). Elderly driving has become an alarming subject throughout many communities in the United States as it concerns the safety and health of themselves as well as other drivers. One article shares, as 80-year-old Daniel was driving to the grocery store one day, he ran over a curb and hit a trash can. Luckily he was not hurt and his car suffered only minor scratches. Although unscathed, Daniel was emotionally distraught having almost hit a young woman waiting at the bus stop (Older Drivers). This story as well as many others has triggered a crucial debate about the rights and well-being of senior drivers. Most people believe these older drivers should have an age restriction determining when they should and should not be able drive. However, getting older does not mean people lose all capability to drive. In opposition, driving and health tests should be required at the age of 65 to prove they are capable of safe driving rather than revoking their licenses.
“Population and Drivers involved in Fatal crashes by age Group of 45 to 54 in 2008 was a high number and percent (Source 2).” I used to have a friend who was driving from his mother house and there was a driver and the old guy crashed into my friend, my friend died at the age of 20 years old by a old guy who was driving under the influence. When you think about it aging on both sides with the old people and the young people they can not drive, you just have to keep looking on both sides of this issue just to understand that this problem you have to get on one side you also have to get on the other side to. Before you incused the younger drives that they cannot drive and raised up the driving age limit, you should also look at the old people and check them out to because its not really fair that the DMV changes the rule but not for the old people
Many older people are cashing more than ever because they will not give up their car keys when they need to say it is time to give up driving. We should defiantly propose that we take care of this issue by making them retake the exam. So many elderly are getting into wrecks and some are even driving on the wrong side of the road killing people. By proposing that we need to force the elderly to retake that driving exam every six months is to insure that they will be able to drive more safely on our public roads still today. A lot of people agree and dis-agree with the retaking idea of an exam, but it would be very beneficial to enforce this as a new law due to the high rising risks of older drivers. “Citizen Drivers over 65 may need
I think elderly drivers should be testing twice a year depending of their age. Driving has a lot of responsibility as you get older you reflex are not the same your eye vision stars going blurry I think after 65 of age the public safety should have more programs and more testing for their physical and their medical history sometimes know they don’t have a choice family members won’t help them to take them to doctors appoint.t
Drivers over 70 should be off the roads! People over the age of 70 who cannot operate a vehicle responsibly should not be licensed to drive. The state should require everyone who turns 70 they to repeat their road driving exam for reinstatement of their license. In addition, every year after to weed out unsafe drivers, which dramatically reduces the amount of accidents caused by the elderly drivers. Three factors often contribute to these statistics: poor judgement in making left-hand turns; drifting within the traffic lane; and decreased ability to change behavior in response to an unexpected or rapidly changing situation. It is inevitable, we are all going to get old and will face the pressures of society
“An eighty-six year old man killed ten people and injured more than seventy when he drove his Buick into a crowded farmers market in California. In Florida, an eighty-four year old woman drove her car through a window of a Sears and into a cash register and employee” (Murphy). Sadly enough, instances like these are becoming more and more prevalent and require immediate action. It is imperative that a more comprehensive approach be taken when deciding the competence of elderly drivers. Laws must be put into action to mandate and administer testing and re-examining of the skills and eligibility of this group. Equally important, we must consider those who will no longer be able to drive, and ensure their transportation and occupational needs
It is unfortunate, but the elderly are making the headlines daily, whether it is mistaking the gas for brake pedal or failing to see an oncoming car before making a turn, and the list is endless. Impaired elderly drivers tend to be the leading cause in fatal accidents (Kim, H., & Ashton-Miller, J. 2012). Elderly people tend to experience degeneration of their senses such as declining eyesight including lack of peripheral vision, and hearing that can affect the decisions a person makes as they are driving (Mihm, L. 2014). Elderly drivers should be retested for several reasons. As people age their reaction time decreases. Another reason is that as people get older their vision often starts to deteriorate along with their hearing. I believe that if we retest elderly people then it will help save their lives and the
A long standing debate has been whether or not people sixty – five or older should continue to drive. According to Davis and DeBarros, rates of fatal crashes begin to increase after age sixty – five. “When drivers get to be as old as 85 and older, the driver fatality rate skyrockets to almost four times higher than teen driver death rates.”
I believe that this change is an unnecessary and inappropriate one as the age of the driver is not the problem, the problem is that people still don’t fully understand the rules of the road whether that be P platers, 10 years experience, 20 years or even 30 years of driving experience. A solution to this problem would be creating a mandatory retest that each person with a licence must sit every 10 years and every 5 years for persons over the age of 60 as hand-eye co-ordination and reflexes start to deteriorate.